US-China rivalry no problem, says Howard

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The Prime Minister, John Howard, has denied he feels "the least
bit squeezed" between the United States and China over their rising
military and economic rivalry.

Mr Howard, in Washington for talks with President George Bush
tomorrow, also rejected as "unhelpful, irresponsible" reported
threats by a Chinese general that China would use nuclear weapons
against the US if it intervened in any conflict with Taiwan.

Tensions between the two countries have risen recently over US
legislators' hostility to a bid by the Chinese energy company CNOOC
for the US-based oil and gas company Unocal.

The Australian Government has also denied suggestions that the
US is twitchy about Australia's warm relations with China, spurred
by multibillion dollar gas deals.

Mr Howard denied that the relationship between the three
countries would be a big issue in his talks with Mr Bush.

"We will talk about China, but not in the context of it being a
problem in our relationship with the US. That is an extraordinary
implication and suggestion."

He raised the decision to grant the fugitive Chinese diplomat
Chen Yonglin a visa as an example of standing on a point of
principle that was viewed as important by Australia but not by
China.

There was "a lot of talk about the Australian Government being
pushed around", he said.

"The Australian Government did the right thing."

Asked about hostility among US politicians towards China, Mr
Howard said the US was a robust democracy and people were entitled
to their views.

Commenting on Major-General Zhu Chenghu's comments that his
country would "respond with nuclear weapons" if the US attacked
China, Mr Howard said the remarks were "unhelpful, irresponsible
and I am sure they don't represent the views of the Chinese
Government".

Mr Howard and his wife, Janette, were expected to have a private
lunch with the US Vice-President, Dick Cheney, and and his wife,
Lynne, yesterday.